Which Breast Implant Type Should You Choose?

It’s an open question as to whether fat graft breast implants are superior to silicone and saline—or vice versa. That’s why patients preference (and surgeon preference) is a big factor in deciding which direction to go. In many ways, if you’re the patient, it will be up to you. So it’s useful to know what, exactly, you’re deciding.

Are Fat Graft Breast Implants Better Than Silicone or Saline?

With all the commotion that they’ve generated, you’d be forgiven for wondering, are fat graft breast implants better than silicone or saline implants? After all, these novel fat graft implants are getting the lion’s share of the press. Silicone and saline implants seem to be falling by the wayside if you go what’s in the newspaper (assuming you read newspapers any more).

Are Fat Graft Breast Implants Better Than Silicone?

But the news media (understandably) tends to focus their energies on what’s newest, not necessarily what’s best. In other words, fat graft breast implantsmight be the right choice for you, but they might not. How can you tell which implant is going to get you better results?

Many patients want to have an idea of what implant type to pursue before talking to a plastic surgeon—but during your consultation with your surgeon, you’ll discuss the various pros and cons of each implant type. What we’re saying is that it might be good to have an idea, but you should definitely be open to the information your surgeon will have for you.

The Benefits of Fat Graft Implants

There is no shortage of benefits to choosing a fat graft procedure. In general, fat graft procedures are nice because they remove fat from one place (where you don’t want it) and put it another (where you do want it). This creates a certain amount of efficiency in the procedure. It’s almost like you get some bonus body contouring to go along with your breast augmentation procedure.

The appeal of that two-for-one is not lost on patients. In fact, it’s one of the elements that makes something like a Brazilian Butt Lift so exceptionally popular. And that appeal carries over into the fat graft breast augmentation.

There are other benefits to this procedure as well, including:

The final results tend to look quite natural

The final results also tend to feel quite natural; that’s because the breast implant is composed of your own fat

There are no visible scars or incisions on the breasts themselves

The procedure is effectively permanent, meaning transplanted fat will stay in the breasts (although not all the fat will “take” to its new location)

The actual injection process is minimally invasive

The Drawbacks of a Fat Graft Breast Augmentation

Even with all of these benefits, there are still some drawbacks to this procedure. The liposuction may give you added benefits in terms of body sculpting, but it’s a second procedure to recover from. For many patients, that’s entirely worth the fantastic results—but it’s something to think about.

The other drawbacks to a fat graft procedure are a little harder to control. The primary drawback has to do with the fat itself. With any of these aesthetic fat graft procedures, fat will be removed using liposuction, purified, and then injected into the target area.

But it’s not always easy to know how much of the fat will “survive” the transition. Any number of the fat cells may end up dissolving back into your body. This can mean that your results will be slightly unpredictable, at least until the graft “takes” to its new home.

Some of that unpredictability can be mitigated by considered and careful technique. So when you’re getting a fat graft procedure, it definitely pays to seek out a surgeon who is highly qualified and experienced.

The Benefits and Drawbacks of Silicone

Fat graft breast augmentation is often discussed as a kind of alternative to silicone breast implants. That’s because, according to the website of Houston breast surgeon Dr. Charles Polsen, silicone is the most popular (and generally most successful) implant type.

This popularity is for good reason. Some of the benefits of silicone breast implants include the following:

A wide range of option in terms of size, shape, and texture

Silicone implants are incredibly stable

Silicone implants will look and feel relatively natural

Silicone implants (or “gummy bear” implants) tend to be the preferred choice over saline implants for a wide variety of reasons

Silicone implants will tend to retain their structure if there is any kind of rupture

Of course, there are drawbacks as well. Silicone implants will require a surgical procedure to implant. In some cases, a breast lift will also be necessary in order to achieve the results you’re after. However, those results tend to be reliable in terms of patients being able to anticipate the final size.

What’s Your Preference?

It’s really tough to make a case for fat graft implants as better than silicone or saline. Much of the decision making process will come down to what is best for your particular situation. If you want the option to change your implants down the road, or if you simply want reliable results, then a silicone implant might be the best bet for you.

If you want something that will look and feel natural as your highest priority, then a fat graft procedure might be more appropriate. Whatever technique you choose to pursue, it’s always important to consult with your surgeon before setting your mind to something.

After all, your surgeon will be able to give you much more detailed pros and cons that each technique offers. Your surgeon will also be able to give you tips on the size, shape, and material of implants that will work best for your body and your proportions.

If you’re wondering, are fat graft breast implants better than silicone or saline, the answer will probably be more variable than you’d like—but the hope is that you’ll be so taken with the results you won’t care about the material.